But the sinner sometimes gets confused, it would seem; sometimes he heeds the preacher’s warnings, sometimes he scoffs at them. Often he does not hear them. More rarely he inquires into conditions. In the lines which follow the negroes make each a stanza, repeating three times. It perhaps represents the retort of the “sinner man.”
Some goin’ thru’ Jordan, some tryin’ to go ’round.
The Mef’dis’ they say sprinklin’, de Baptis say’ baptize.
Now Lord the sinner man so hard to believe,
Now Lord sinner man want you to show him de way
But the sinner gets little reply to his inquiries. “Time is comin’ when sinner mus’ die” and there is none so pitiable as the lost sinner.
Sinner, die, sinner die,
Sinner dies wid his head hung down,
Sinner die, sinner die,
Sinner die in de midnight dew.
Sinner die, sinner die,
Sinner die, with achin’ heart,
Sinner die, sinner die,
Sinner die with weary min’.
Stump’ty up an’ stump’ty down,
Time is comin’ when sinner mus’ die,
Hurry home, hurry home;
Time is a comin’ sinner mus’ die.
Don’t you let that sinner change yo’ min’,
Time is comin’ sinner mus’ die.
Hurry home, hurry home;
Time is comin’ sinner mus’ die.
The plantation song of some years ago, sometimes called “O sinner, you better get ready”, had the same line refrain, “Time is a comin’ dat sinner mus’ die.” The repetition of “sinner die”, is a new addition. In the old song were lines similar to those quoted:
O sinner man you better pray,
For it look a like judgment every day.
I heard a lumb’ring in de sky,
Dat make a me tink my time was nigh.
I heard of my Jesus a many one say,
Could ’move poor sinner’s sins away.
Yes, I’d rather pray myself away,
Dan to lie in hell an’ burn a one day.
I think I heard my mother say—
’Twas a pretty thing to serve the Lord.
O when I git to heaven I’ll be able fer to tell,
O how I shun dat dismal hell.
In addition to the line-refrain which was sung after each line of the song, an additional chorus followed at intervals; this chorus had “ready my Lord” where the new one has a short line, “Hurry home”.
Oh, sinner, you’d better get ready, ready my Lord,
Oh, sinner, you’d better get ready.
An interesting type of song is that in which an imaginary conversation is carried on between two parties. If the song is correctly rendered the leader or one part of the chorus sing the first part or take the words of one of the speakers, while the other chorus take up the other speaker’s words. Both then join in the grand refrain, which in the following song is “Lord, I’m on my way”.
Sinner, what you goin’ to do
When de devil git you?
What you goin’ do
When de devil git you?
What you goin’ do
When de devil git you?
Lord, I’m on my way.
I’m goin’ run to the rocks.
Well, they can’t hide you.
Goin’ run to the rocks—
They can’t hide you;
Run to the rocks,
Well, they can’t hide you,
Lord, I’m on my way.
I’m goin’ to run to the water;
An’ water goin’ to cry “fire”,
Goin’ to run to the water,
An’ water cry “fire”,
Run to the water,
An’ water cry “fire”,
Lord, I’m on my way.